I stayed at Mason's house that night until he fell asleep. Derek went back out shortly after arguing with Annalise, and she never came back out of her room. I took the opportunity to make Mason and I sandwiches and grab a bottle of water for each of us. He had a little bit but wasn't super hungry. Honestly, neither was I.
We lied down in his bed quietly, watching a couple videos on his phone for a bit. After a while I could tell he was getting tired, and he put his phone down. Quietly, we laid there, not saying much.
"If you want me here tomorrow, I'll be there," I said after a while.
"Thank you," Mason mumbled, sleepily.
I watched as eventually his eyes closed and he drifted into sleep. For the first time in weeks, Mason seemed a little more peaceful. I got up, as carefully as possible, and put a blanket over him. I didn't want to go, but knew Linda and Jay would be mad if I didn't come home before midnight. I grabbed my backpack and slipped out of Mason's room, and then his house.
The walk home wasn't too bad. It was a little chilly, but I didn't mind. I knew Mason would have driven me, but it gave me a sense of ease to know that I left him sleeping rather than wrestling with his thoughts all night.
When I finally got home, I kicked my shoes off in the foyer and threw my backpack down. Immediately I checked my phone, when I didn't see a message from Mason, I wasn't sure whether to be relieved that he might still be sleeping or worried he might not be.
The glow of the television illuminated the living room as I breezed past it to the stairs.
"Charlie, is that you?" Jay called.
"Yeah! Sorry, I'm late!" I replied, continuing up the stairs. I ran up to my bedroom and closed the door behind me. Then I went into my bathroom and turned on the shower.
Immediately, I sat down by the tub and the tears I'd been fighting all evening finally came rolling down my cheeks as a sob ripped through my chest.
"I don't want to go... but this... this makes it hard to want to stay."
Mason's words echoed in my mind and I pressed a hand to my mouth to muffle the sound. I kept it together for him, but it broke my heart to witness his pain. I wished I could take it away. I wished I could make it all disappear. I wished he didn't want to disappear. I wished his parents really saw him. I wished they saw that the child they had left was slipping away before their eyes, while they thought – or tried not to think – about the child they had lost. I was so scared to lose him and I was mad that the thought didn't occur to his parents that it could be possible.
Even though I managed to drag myself off the bathroom floor and shower before going to bed, my mind didn't let me sleep. I lied there awake. Waiting. Fearful. Hoping that he'd sleep through the night and I'd see him tomorrow.
Author's Note: If any of you are feeling the way that Mason is, please talk to someone and know that you are so loved and important <3
I hope you liked this chapter! Even though it was so sad, I liked writing it! <3
New Chapter out next week! Don't forget to vote and comment in the mean time xo
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Nothing's Fine
Genç KurguCharlie Ross was a teenage runaway before she was rescued by a compassionate Linda Wilson. Three years later and currently in high school, life is only slightly less difficult as it was before. No longer running away from dangers outside, but she h...
